WORCESTER — Worcester’s very own Union Station is considered one of the most beautiful train stations in the entire country by Conde Nast Traveler, rivaling Grand Central Terminal in New York City and Union Station in Washington, D.C.
“Every day, lots of people rely on this connection between Worcester and Boston,” said Jim Bedard, the chief of public facilities at Union Station.
“On a daily basis we’ll have someone come in here, taking pictures,” he continued. “People from all over the place come here just for this building. It truly is a focal point of the city.”
Originally built in 1911, the French Renaissance-style station replaced an earlier station built in 1875. At that time, it was considered one of the most beautiful buildings in all of Massachusetts.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt made several appearances at Union Station over the years, starting in the summer of 1934, opting to sleep aboard the Presidential Special while it sat on the platform. He returned in 1936, 1940 and 1944.
In October 1958, President Harry S. Truman stopped by the station, speaking to crowds from the rear of the presidential train. Just a few years later, the station would go from the glitz and glam of a presidential visit to complete disrepair.
Standing outside the pristine white building today, visitors would never know that less than half a century ago the station was barely standing, the roof caved in, the interior open to the elements and the floor rotting.
“The original contractors working on the renovations, you wouldn’t believe some of the stories,” said Jonathan Frietas, emerging from his office in the back of the station. “One day, he told me he came inside the station and there was a deer, right in the middle of the building. I’ve also heard stories about snakes. I mean, the whole building was just open to the elements.”
Frietas, who works in the facilities department, favors the Grand Hall rotunda and said it’s the character of the building that he’s drawn to.
For Bedard, the station represents a “touching back to what used to be.” He said the marble facade may be one of his favorite parts of the building apart from the tall towers overlooking the rotary outside.
The building underwent a massive $32 million restoration and renovation in the late 1990s and reopened to the public as an intermodal hub in 2000.
Now the station serves Worcester’s bus line, Amtrak and the MBTA, as the start and finish of the Framingham/Worcester line.
Passengers board an MBTA commuter rail train from the new platform at Union Station in a file photo.
Jessica Leonard began commuting between Worcester and South Station in April 2023, when she started a new job as a court reporter. She typically takes the 7:07 a.m. train out of Worcester, and often travels from the Grafton stop in the winter.
“I have transcripts that I have to read so I can get at least a solid hour of reading in each way,” she said. “Sometimes it takes longer than 90 minutes to drive in and being stuck in traffic can be frustrating.”
Her biggest qualm with riding the train is the other passengers.
“I hate when people get on the train and watch their phone or listen to music without headphones,” she said. “Or when they call someone and have a one-sided conversation.”
Speaking of qualms, both Bedard and Frietas said it’s the flag atop the station that they receive the most calls about.
“If one of the flags is ripped, you can bet it’s the first thing I’ll hear about,” Frietas said. “The station is so visible from everywhere, even people just passing through on 290.”
Gov. Maura Healey recently visited Union Station to announce an $8 billion transportation investment plan, which outlined significant funding for road repairs, MBTA improvements and regional projects.
“The governor had every opportunity to go anywhere, but she came here to make that announcement,” Bedard said with pride.
The station is undergoing significant platform, track and accessibility improvements, with an expected completion date sometime in August.
Apart from official transportation announcements, the station has been the backdrop for a number of events in the last decade, including boxing matches, weddings and proms.
“You should see this place ahead of the Boston sports parades,” Bedard said. “I remember the last time the Celtics won, there was a line of college kids out the door.”
Standing in the Grand Hall midmorning on a Tuesday, only a few people were milling about, some waiting for an incoming or outgoing train, others napping on a wooden bench in the glow of the commuter rail logo.
T&G engagement editor Sarah Barnacle is getting to know Central Mass. by exploring some of the best places to go and things to do in Worcester County. If you have an idea or suggestion, please email [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Telegram & Gazette: 114-year-old Union Station remains a focal point in Worcester
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